craft beer

S: A Lightly golden, somewhat hazy body stands beneath a white frothy head. Decent lacing accrues on the sides of the glass, but the head dissipates, like a specter you’re not sure you saw. Small zippy bubbles make their way to the top.

A: A grapefruit citrus mixes with a subtle floral aroma. A pinch of pine.

T: Mirroring the aroma, citrus leads, followed by the floral component. Interesting hop choice. It finishes with a bit of cracker-y malt and firm but not bracing bitterness.
F: Medium-light. Gentle, but discernable carbonation. Excellent bitterness to balance the malt.
O: On the lighter side, but a smooth, easy-drinking IPA despite the 6.7% abv. It’s a bit of a departure from what we expect from Stone, but that’s by no means a bad thing. An intermediate-level IPA that will vanish quickly from your glass. Ooooooo!

Poured into: Dogfish Head craft goblet with enough vigor to produce a head, but as not to disturb the yeast from the bottom of the bottle.

Sight: A deeply gingerbread body fills the glass with a quick-forming khaki head. As dark as it is, there’s nice evidence of carbonation, tiny, delicate bubbles well up from the base. A few seconds later, the head dissipates to a tightly hugging ring and a storm-front mass of suds on top. Further insepction reveals a lovely reddish hue to the body. No lacing, but hey, it’s a 10.5% abv drink. Taking a look at the bottle, one can observe a ring of yeast sediment on the bottom.

Taste: Much of the aroma follows through to the palate. Malt and sugar sweetness, on the fuller side of the style. Pleasant warmth from alcohol which keeps it from becoming too sweet. The plum note manifests as part of a “fruitcake” sort of fruitiness, along with the yeast.

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated, with very fine bubbles, not sharp and biting. Finish is moderately dry with a slight bitterness, bringing another means of balance. Medium-full body.

Overall: More abbey-style than Trappist, a nice New-World interpretation. This is not your father’s Chimay. A great way to celebrate four years… at least that’s what I herd.

If you’ve ever attended a well-run beer dinner, you know the treat it is– the thoughtful pairing of beer and food. I attended one not too long ago, featuring an extensive list of Firestone Walker’s portfolio, paired with wonderful dishes, ranging from Bavarian pretzels (with Pivo Pils) to pork belly (with Double Jack).

Beer and food pairing is an excellent creative exercise, and one Garrett Oliver goes to explain at great lengths in his book, The Brewmaster’s Table. This is also a valuable concept to understand when studying for and taking your Cicerone exam.

For those of you who follow me and are local to Warren County, NJ, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’m brewing up a celebration of sorts, a beer dinner that will feature the three Hackettstown breweries all under one roof. That’s right, Czig Meister, Man Skirt, and Jersey Girl will share the spotlight one night in the semi-near future at a location I’ll disclose as I get further along in the process.

To my devoted fans, my new fans, and future fans, welcome to my 100th blog post. You didn’t think I’d make it here, did you? Well, I’m happy to say, the time has arrived. In honor of such a momentous occasion (in my head at least), I felt it only right and proper to do a beer review. This one is partially in honor of my heritage, my fondness for dark beer, and of course, because my freakin’ awesome wife bought not just the beer, but the container in which this marvelous libation dwells (though soon, it will have a new home, in my stomach). As her Valentine’s gift to me, she bought me a ceramic, 64 ounce growler from Barley Creek Brewing Co. and filled it with one of their year-round favorites of mine: Angler Black Lager. Below is the review:

Angler Black Lager

On the docket: Barley Creek Brewing Co.’s Angler Black Lager

Growler filled: 2/13/17

Poured into: Lone Eagle Brewing Co. craft glass

Sight: From a long way off, you’d swear the glass held the darkest stout in the world. But come closer. A more attentive inspection screams walnut hardwood or if you want to get esoteric, bistre (sooty brown) with reddish-orange highlights. The head, though short lived is a quick-forming beige cap. Lacing is braille-like and delicate. The cap recedes into a swirl of suds and a small conclave of bubbles on one side of the glass. The body is dark enough to prohibit the detection of bubbles rising to the surface.

Aroma: Malt is definitely the star here, as this beer yields an aroma of darkish baker’s chocolate and cocoa powder. There’s a slight suggestion of roasted coffee, and an earthiness that reminds me of either tobacco or leather. Either is fine.

Taste: Closely mirroring the aroma, is a malt-driven brew. Chocolate, sweetish malt and a hint of brown or pumpernickel bread. The slightest trace of caramel. There’s a roundness here that’s appealing. Only on the end do the hops make an appearance in the bitter balance to all the smooth, dark malt flavors.

Mouthfeel: The commonly held misconception is that dark beers are heavy. Well, some are. But this? This is light, elegant, and dances on the tongue, a medium- on the body. Fine carbonation. Crisp, smooth finish– just like a lager should have.

Overall: Is it an imperial, barrel aged stout with vanilla, coffee, cocoa nibs, and blessed by a priest? NO. This is a fine example of a beer style that receives way too little attention in the beer world: Schwarzbier. For those that love lagers, for those that love German beer, for those that love dark beer, for those that love session-able beer (5.2% abv), this beer is for all of you.

S: Amber-orange with a crystal hue. A off-white head that forms, fluffy and tall but sinks after a minute. A small cap sticks around. Lazy bubbles climb to the top.

A: The biggest portion of the aroma comes from the bright apricot aroma. Also present is a subtle tartness from the wheat, plus a hint of fruit and herbal notes from the Willamette and Golding hops. Straightforward and pleasing in its simplicity.

T: Apricot fruit up front, and an initial sweetness. By mid-palate though, it starts to dry out. Similar to the aroma, there’s a slight tartness imparted by the wheat. This is by no means sour, just an added layer of complexity. Certainly on the malty side of the spectrum. However, there is a dryness to the finish (give it a minute to develop).

F: Medium-light body, Gentle, smooth carbonation.

O: Pleasant, simple, refreshing fruit beer that isn’t brash and citrusy. Fans of peach and nectarine flavored beers may also enjoy this one.

S: Honey-gold or Ticonderoga pencil, supporting an off-white head. It sits around for a while, great retention. Lacing is thick and doily-like. Mostly translucent but clear. Tiny bubbles well up from the base of the glass.

A: Bright orange citrus and a touch of vanilla stands out first, with a slight pine and subtle sweet malt. Excellent aroma, could sniff this for the dog days of summer.

T: Much like the aroma, the orange zest comes through immediately, plus a small dose of pine. Midway through the malt comes in, simple with a water-cracker starkness. This is also where the gentle sweetness from the lactose helps to balance out the bitterness of the hops. The vanilla is in there somewhere, helping your mouth think that you’re cooling off with a creamsicle. With a crisp and bitter finish, this one makes you reach for more. Without a doubt an IPA.

F: Medium body, with some fluffiness. Finely attuned carbonation.

O: Intriguing take on an IPA that’s well executed. It does conjure images of that white van and unforgettable loud-speaker jingle, standing in line, and finally handing over a few dollars for Good Humored relief from the blistering summer sun.

A: Bold aroma of tangerine at first sniff. After a minute or two, you can also detect a small amount of mango or papaya. Simple but elegant.

S: Crystal-bright honey gold body, and a bone collar of dense foam on top. The head builds, the recedes quickly to a closely hugging ring of suds and a wash of microscopic bubbles in the center. Tiny bubbles drift to the top of the glass. Big bands of lacing.

T: After an initial blast of tangerine and citrus hoppiness, the malt emerges as white-bread crust and just a touch of caramel and molasses. Brief sweetness. The hops come in again at the end providing fruitiness and bitterness with an added pine.

F: Fine carbonation, medium-plus body. Oily and slick on the palate. Long, drying and bitter finish. Despite the 9%+ abv, no real sign of the alcohol via flavor or aroma.

O: Aggressively hopped and flavorful. Excellent aroma and just enough sweetness from the malt to provide a counterbalance. However, the hops and bitterness win out. Neat variation on the popular “drink it while its fresh” series by Stone.